Back from the beach. I managed to write this chapter and some of the next one while I was there so that should be coming sometime in the near future. Also, thanks to my two reviewers: dream lighting and SupaCrazee. You guys are awesome!
I still don't own Harry Potter
Chapter Four: At Flourish and Blotts
Life at The Burrow was as different as possible from the life in Privet Drive. The Dursleys liked everything neat and ordered; the Weasley's house burst with the strange and unexpected. The mirror over the mantelpiece in the kitchen would often tell Harry to "Tuck your shirt in, scruffy!"
A ghoul in the attic would howl and drop pipes whenever he felt things were getting too quiet and small explosions from Fred and George's room were considered perfectly normal. But what seemed to overwhelm Harry the most was that everyone there liked them.
Jessica watched as Mrs Weasley fussed over the state of Harry's socks and then proceeded to offer both the Potter twins fourth helpings of every meal they ate. Mr Weasley liked to sit beside Harry and Jessica at the dinner table so that he could bombard them with questions about Muggle life, asking them to explain how things like plugs and the postal service worked.
"Fascinating!" He would say as Harry talked him through using a telephone. "Ingenious, really, how many ways Muggles have found of getting along without magic."
They received news from Hogwarts one sunny morning about a week after Harry and Jessica had arrived at The Burrow. Ginny and Jessica went downstairs and were soon after joined by Ron and Harry. The moment Ginny saw Harry, she accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter. Ginny was very prone to knocking over things whenever Harry entered a room. She dived under the table to retrieve the bowl and emerged with her face glowing like the setting sun. Pretending he hadn't seen, Harry sat down and accepted the toast Mrs Weasley was offering him.
"Letters from school," said Mrs Weasley, passing Harry, Ron and Jessica identical envelopes.
"Dumbledore already knows you're both here – doesn't miss a trick, that man. You've got them, too," she added as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pyjamas.
For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their letters. Jessica's told her to catch the Hogwarts Express from Platform Nine and Three Quarters on September first, as usual. There was also a list of the new books she'd need for the coming year.
Second year students will require:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 byMiranda Goshawk
Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart
Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart
Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart
Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart
Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at Jessica's.
"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books too!" he said. "The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan – bet it's a witch."
At this point, Fred caught his mother's eye and busied himself with the marmalade.
"That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive ..."
Well, we'll manage," said Mrs Weasley, but she looked worried. "I expect we'll have to pick up a lot of Ginny's things second-hand."
"Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked Ginny.
She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and put her elbow in the butter dish. Fortunately, no one else saw this, because just then Ron's elder brother Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his knitted tank top.
"Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."
He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a moulting grey feather duster – at least, that's what Jessica thought it was, until she saw that it was breathing.
"Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally – he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys."
He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off it again so Ron lay him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic." Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it aloud:
Dear Ron, and Harry and Jessica if you're there,
I hope everything went alright and that Harry and Jessica are OK and that you didn't do anything illegal to get them out, Ron, because that would get them into trouble, too. I've been worried and if Harry and Jessica are alright, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl, because I think one more delivery might finish your one off.
I'm very busy with school work, of course –"How can she be?" said Ron in horror. "We're on holiday!" – and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley?
Let me know what's happening as soon as you can, love from Hermione.
"Well, that fits in nicely, we can go get all your things then, too," said Mrs Weasley, starting to clear up the table. "What're you all up to today?"
Harry, Ron, Jessica, Fred and George were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock the Weasleys owned. It was surrounded by trees that blocked it from the village below, meaning that they could practise Quidditch there, as long as they didn't fly too high. They couldn't use real Quidditch balls, which would have been hard to explain if they had escaped and flown away over the village; instead they threw apples for each other to catch. They took it in turns to ride Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand and Jessica's Cleansweep Seven, as they were easily the best brooms; Ron's old Shooting Star was often outstripped by passing butterflies.
Five minutes later they were marching up the hill, broomsticks over their shoulders. They had asked Percy if he wanted to join them, but he said he was too busy. Jessica had only seen Percy at meal-times so far; he stayed shut in his room for the rest of the time.
"Wish I knew what he was up to," said Fred, frowning. "He's not himself. His exam results came the day before you did; twelve O. and he hardly gloated at all."
"Ordinary Wizarding Levels," George explained, seeing Harry's puzzled look. "Bill got twelve too. If we're not careful, we'll have another Head Boy in the family. I don't think I could stand the shame."
Bill was the oldest Weasley brother. He and the next brother, Charlie, had already left Hogwarts. Jessica had never met either of them, but knew that Charlie was in Romania studying dragons and Bill in Egypt working for Gringotts.
"Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year," said George after a while. "Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything ..."
Harry and Jessica said nothing. They felt a bit awkward. Stored in a vault at Gringotts in London was a small fortune their parents had left them. Of course, it was only in the wizarding world that either of them had money; you couldn't use Galleons, Sickles and Knuts in Muggle shops. They would never tell the Dursleys this though; their horror of anything magic probably didn't stretch to a pile of gold.
Mrs Weasley woke them all early the following Wednesday. After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats and Mrs Weasley pulled a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.
"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy more today ... ah well, guests first!"
And she offered Harry and Jessica the flowerpot.
Jessica, without hesitation grabbed a pinch of Floo power, but Harry stood and stared at everyone watching them.
"W-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered
"He's never travelled by Floo powder," said Ron suddenly. "Sorry, Harry, I forgot."
"Never? Said Mr Weasley. "But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"
"I went on the Underground –"
"Really?" said Mr Weasley eagerly. "Were there escapators? How exactly –"
"Not now, Arthur," said Mrs Weasley. "Floo powder's a lot quicker, dear, but goodness me, if you've never used it before –"
"He'll be alright, Mum," said Fred, "Harry, watch us first."
He took a pinch of the glittering Floo powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fireplace and threw the powder onto the flames.
With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley," and vanished.
"You must speak clearly, dear," Mrs Weasley told Harry as Jessica stepped up to the fireplace and threw in her Floo powder. Mrs Weasley was just giving Harry some more advice as Jessica stepped into the green flame, shouted "Diagon Alley!" and disappeared from view.
She had the familiar sensation of being sucked down a plug hole, spinning through the Floo network until she saw the interior of the Leaky Cauldron and Fred's flaming hair. She stepped out of the fireplace in the dark pub. After quickly brushing the soot off her clothes, she turned to Fred.
"Well hi there," he said.
"Hi yourself, do you –"
Jessica's reply was interrupted by the appearance of George, who appeared out of the fireplace next
"George! I haven't seen you in a lifetime! How are you my friend?" said Fred jokingly.
"I'm well, my friend," replied George in the same tone. "Harry's coming next, let's see if he makes it in one piece."
They waited, but when the next person came through the fireplace, it wasn't Harry. Instead, Ron stepped out of the flames.
"Where's Harry?" he asked as he looked around.
"We might ask you the same question," said Jessica. "George said he was supposed to come through before you."
The flames roared green again and Ginny appeared, asking the same question as her brother had.
"Where's Harry?"
"We don't know, Ginny," said Fred. "He's probably ended up at the wrong fireplace."
The rest of the Weasleys arrived one by one, and all of them asked where Harry was.
"We have to go look for him," said Ginny.
"I hope he turns up," said Mrs Weasley worriedly. "What will happen if we've lost him?"
"Molly, we'll find him," said Mr Weasley. "All we can do right now is go down Diagon Alley and keep our eyes peeled."
Mr Weasley was right, so they all moved into the back alleyway, Mr Weasley tapped the brick with his wand and they all set off along Diagon Alley.
As the huge white marble building of Gringotts loomed ahead, Jessica spotted a head with messy black hair in the crowd, and knew it was Harry. She sprinted up the street towards her twin and as she got closer, she saw that Hermione was with him, as well as Hagrid.
"Harry!" she yelled as she got closer.
Harry's head whipped around and he broke into a huge grin. She almost knocked him over as she hit him full speed and hugged him. The rest of the Weasleys arrived moments behind her.
"Harry," panted Mr Weasley. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far ..." He mopped his glistening bald patch. "Molly's frantic – she's coming now."
"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.
"Knockturn Alley," said Hagrid grimly.
"Brilliant!" said Fred and George together.
"We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.
"I should ruddy well think not," growled Hagrid.
Mrs Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other.
"Oh, Harry – oh, my dear – you could have been anywhere –"
Gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping the soot off Harry's clothes. Mrs Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of her wand and returned them, good as new.
"Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs Weasley ("Knockturn Alley! If you hadn't found him, Hagrid!"). "See yer at Hogwarts!" and he strode away, head and shoulders taller than everyone on the street.
"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked Ron, Hermione and Jessica as they climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father."
"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" said Mr Weasley sharply behind them.
"No, he was selling."
"So he's worried," said Mr Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something ..."
"You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs Weasley sharply, as they were ushered into the bank by a bowing goblin at the door. "That family's trouble, don't go biting off more than you can chew."
"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr Weasley indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall , waiting for Hermione to introduce them.
"But you're Muggles!" said Mr Weasley delightedly. "We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!" he pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr Granger's hand.
"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione, as the Weasleys, Harry and Jessica were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.
The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train-tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. Jessica enjoyed the trip to the Weasley's vault, but felt terrible once it was opened. There was a small pile of silver Sickles inside, and only one gold Galleon. Mrs Weasley reached right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag. It was even worse when they reached Harry and Jessica's vault. They tried to block the contents from view as they hastily shoved handfuls into their bags.
Back outside on the marble steps, they separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs Weasley and Ginny were going to a second hand robe shop. Mr Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.
"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your school books," said Mrs Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Ally!" she shouted at the twin's retreating backs.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Jessica strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The jangling bags of gold silver and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry and Jessica's pockets were clamouring to be spent, so they bought four large strawberry and peanut butter ice-creams which the four of them slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron stared longingly at a full set of Chudley Canons robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch supplies until Hermione dragged them off to but ink and parchment next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George and Lee Jordan, who were stocking upon Dr Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No Heat Fireworks and in a tiny shop full of broken wands, wonky scales and old cloaks covered in potion stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.
"A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers," Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating..."
"Go away," Percy snapped.
"Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out... he wants to be Minister of Magic ..." Ron told the others in an undertone, as they left Percy to it.
An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the door, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows.
GILDEROY LOCKHART
Will be signing copies of his autobiography
MAGICAL ME
Today 12.30 – 4.30 pm
"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"
Jessica had to admit, she was rather excited too.
The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs Weasley's age. A harassed-looking wizard was saying, "Calmly, please ladies ... don't push, there ... mind the books, now ..."
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Jessica squeezed inside. A long queue wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of Break with a Banshee, and sneaked up the line where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr and Mrs Granger.
"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute ..."
Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue which exactly matched his eyes; his pointed hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.
A short, irritable looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.
"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet."
"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.
"Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron – and then he saw Harry and Jessica. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Harry and Jessica Potter?"
The crowd parted whispering excitedly. Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry and Jessica's arms and pulled them to the front. The crowd burst into applause. Harry and Jessica's faces burned as Lockhart shook their hands for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys.
"Nice big smiles, you two," said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."
When he finally let go of their hands, Harry and Jessica could hardly feel their fingers. They tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm over each of their shoulders and clamped them tightly to his sides.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!
"When young Harry and Jessica here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, they not only wanted to buy my autobiography – which I shall be happy to present the m with now, free of charge –" The crowd applauded again. "They had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry and Jessica a little shake, causing Harry's glasses to slip down his nose, "that they would soon be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. They and their school fellows will, in fact, be getting the real, magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry and Jessica found themselves presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, they managed to find their way out of the limelight, Jessica giving her books to Ron on the way. After muttering something about getting her own, she followed Harry to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron.
"You have these," Harry mumbled to her, tipping his books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own –"
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said a voice Jessica had no trouble recognising. Draco Malfoy had appeared out of the crowd, wearing his usual sneer.
"Famous Potter twins," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."
"Leave them alone, they didn't want all that!" said Ginny. It was the first time she had spoken in front of Harry. She was glaring at Malfoy.
Malfoy spoke only to Harry this time, "Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!"He drawled. Ginny went scarlet as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both now had a stack of Lockhart books.
"Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at Malfoy like he was something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry and Jessica here, eh?"
"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for that lot."
Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the cauldron too and started towards Malfoy, But Harry, Hermione and Jessica grabbed the back of his jacket.
"Ron!" said Mr Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's mad in here, let's go outside."
"Well, well, well – Arthur Weasley."
It could only be Mr Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.
"Lucius," said Mr Weasley, nodding coldly.
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr Malfoy. "All those raids ... I hope they're paying you overtime?"
He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, amidst the glossy Lockhart books, an old, battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.
"Obviously not," he said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"
Mr Weasley flushed darker than even Ron or Ginny.
"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name if wizard, Malfoy," he said.
"Clearly," said Mr Malfoy, his pale eyes shifting towards Mr and Mrs Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley... and I thought your family could sink no lower –"
There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr Weasley had thrown himself at Mr Malfoy, knocking him backwards into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from either Fred or George. Mrs Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!" The crowd stampeded backwards, knocking over more shelves.
"Gentlemen, please – please!"Cried the assistant and then, louder than all, "Break it up, there, gents, break it up –"
Hagrid was wading towards them through the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy apart. Mr Weasley had a cut lip and Mr Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopaedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.
"Here, girl – take your book – it's the best your father can give you –"
Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip, he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.
"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that. No Malfoy's worth listenin' ter. Bad blood, that's what it is. Come on now – let's get outta here."
The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it. They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs Weasley beside herself with fury.
"A fine example to set to your children ... brawling in public ... what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought ..."
"He was pleased," said Fred. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report – said it was all publicity."
But it was a subdued group who headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron where Harry, Jessica, the Weasleys and all their shopping would be travelling back to The Burrow by Floo powder. They said goodbye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side. Mr Weasley started to ask how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs Weasley's face.
Jessica helped herself to some Floo powder and threw it on the orange flames in the grate. After one last look at the pub, she said her destination and was subdued to the twisting ride that was the Floo network.